Review: LG V10

When the LG V10 was announced back in October, with images and specs available to the world, I made a promise to myself. We will be together for Christmas. After numerous calls and emails to the ever-so-patient LG PR executives and meetings with the brand as well, we finally got our hands on the device weeks before its official UAE launch. Call it luck or the result of persistent badgering, but we managed it.

Now a common problem tech nuts face when they finally get their hands on new tech they’ve been waiting for is that it usually doesn’t live up to the hype — the romanticised version of the device they have fabricated in their heads. I feared it might happen to me and I’d be spending Christmas Eve V10-less.

The first thing that hits you as soon as you open up the box is how massive this 5.7-inch slab is. The word premium is being thrown around a lot these days but this thing, with its solid stainless steel frame, definitely is premium. The rear is protected by a rubberised plastic cover and the bumpers above and below the screen, wrapping around the edges, are made of silicon. The screen itself is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. This lifts the V10’s weight class from follow-the-crowd skinny to a chubby 192g, which isn’t that bad.

The device is shockproof and has passed a military standard test that involved several drops on to concrete floor. We’ll take LG’s word for this since we’re not at a stage to chuck review devices on to concrete floors just yet.

The V10 runs Android Lollipop and fuelling this beast from the inside is a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. A memory card slot helps you boost that upwards of 200GB, which one would need since it can shoot 4K video.

One of the main features, together with its mad videography skills, is its secondary display: a small screen on top of the main screen that’s always on. While it seemed impressive and innovative in LG’s initial launch material, it’s something you wouldn’t miss if it were to suddenly disappear from your phone.

Now for the battery. Firstly, it’s a 3,000mAh cell. Why LG? Luckily it did us a solid favour since it’s also removable, so you can swap it for a spare battery if needed. The device also supports fast-charging, which is always nice.

Something worth an honorary mention is the earphones that come along with the device: Quad Beat 3, tuned by AKG. The audio quality is pristine and wholesome, rich enough to make me forget I was wearing rose-gold earphones with a brushed finish. But if you’re a fan of rose gold, you probably have an iPhone and you’re not reading this so… yeah.

The LG V10’s Cameras

The V10 was made for imaging and, as an afterthought, LG decided to throw in smartphone functionalities as well. It’s got a 16MP camera on the rear capable of 4K ultra-high-definition video and dual 5MP front-facing cameras. Nope, that wasn’t a typo – cameras. It’s got two cameras on the front for wide angle selfies.

The phone was made for videographers, however aspiring Vine and Instagram stars like myself can make full use of it too. It’s equipped with enhanced audio recording thanks to not two, but three mics and almost professional-grade (as pro as a smartphone can get) videography and editing features. You’re probably in your car heading to the LG store in Dubai Mall.

It’s even got a manual video mode that allows you to tamper with the ISO, white balance, focus, frame rate and audio settings while you’re recording. By now, you’re probably outside the LG store. If that isn’t enough, these guys added its own Steady Record video stabilisation technology into the V10. And you’re in the store shelling out Dh2,399 for one right now, aren’t you?